Russia To Audit Ecuador’s Banana Certification System

The humble banana is a point of trade interest between Russia and Latin America’s Ecuador, with the south americans providing 16% of all bananas consumed in Russia. There have been some inconsistencies in product, leading to experts from Russia’s plant and animal health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor to conduct an audit of Ecuador’s banana certification system in April, according to the agency. This is to assist Ecuador maintain its QC standards.

Rosselkhoznadzor and the Ecuadoran Agriculture Ministry’s agricultural produce quality control agency Agrocalidad, have issued a statement saying that “This step is aimed at ensuring compliance with international and Russian phytosanitary requirements, as well as improving the quality of exported product.”

A significant part of Russian exports from Ecuador is made up of products subject to phytosanitary quarantine control. These include fresh bananas, whose total imports in 2024 will amount to 1.3 million tonnes, and flowers, whose direct imports tripled over the year to 50 million units. Imports of Ecuadorian cocoa beans to Russia also increased 40-fold to 4,700 tonnes last year.

Russia and Ecuador have also signed agreements in plant quarantine and protection, with Rosselkhoznadzor saying “The signing of the agreements will make it possible to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the area of phytosanitary control, increase the safety of shipped products, and open up additional prospects for joint initiatives.”